I've applied to UCL for medicine and it's one of my top choices, however the cost of accommodation is putting me off. My parents' jobs mean I only qualify for the lowest level of loans and they can afford to help me pay the rest for the first two years. However, after that I have two brothers who will both be at university for my remaining years there.
Is there any way that I could subsidise my accommodation? Many scholarships on their website are specifically for those who have financial needs, however I still wouldn't qualify as my parents would still earn quite a bit. Is there another way to cover the costs of living in London?
EDIT: I know that getting a job is always an option and I plan to work whilst at uni, however medicine is also a very demanding course and I don't know if it would really be possible during clinical years.
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JennLousie
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- 05-11-2017 15:08
Last edited by JennLousie; 05-11-2017 at 15:10. -
StealingThunder
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- 05-11-2017 15:18
(Original post by JennLousie)
I've applied to UCL for medicine and it's one of my top choices, however the cost of accommodation is putting me off. My parents' jobs mean I only qualify for the lowest level of loans and they can afford to help me pay the rest for the first two years. However, after that I have two brothers who will both be at university for my remaining years there.
Is there any way that I could subsidise my accommodation? Many scholarships on their website are specifically for those who have financial needs, however I still wouldn't qualify as my parents would still earn quite a bit. Is there another way to cover the costs of living in London?
Additionally you can save ~£1000 a year if you become your hall's student union rep.
Your student loan also increases once you have a sibling at uni as they understand it's tricky to cover the cost of two kids at uni.
2nd and 3rd year most people go into private accommodation but you can keep costs down by continuing to live in halls, but I think you have to help run events etc if you stay on past first year.
The thing that costs the most is going out. I save lots of money because I don't drink or go out for dinner etc. My friend had the full maintenance grant but only has about £100 or so left for the rest of term because she went out clubbing and drank so much.
The cost is manageable and you get better at being savvy as time goes by.Posted on the TSR App. Download from Apple or Google Play -
StealingThunder
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- 05-11-2017 15:22
(Original post by JennLousie)
EDIT: I know that getting a job is always an option and I plan to work whilst at uni, however medicine is also a very demanding course and I don't know if it would really be possible during clinical years.Posted on the TSR App. Download from Apple or Google Play -
JennLousie
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- 05-11-2017 15:23
(Original post by StealingThunder)
I'm in a similar situation, but if you look at the various halls, UCL halls do have cheaper stuff. My rent is about £6000 this year, so a bit over my maintenance loan. And I live within less than a minute walk to my lectures. If you're willing to travel a bit then it costs less. And if you forgo things like ensuites (mine is shared bathroom and it's honestly ok). I live on about £20 a week for food etc and it's manageable (I'm self catered).
Additionally you can save ~£1000 a year if you become your hall's student union rep.
Your student loan also increases once you have a sibling at uni as they understand it's tricky to cover the cost of two kids at uni.
2nd and 3rd year most people go into private accommodation but you can keep costs down by continuing to live in halls, but I think you have to help run events etc if you stay on past first year.
The thing that costs the most is going out. I save lots of money because I don't drink or go out for dinner etc. My friend had the full maintenance grant but only has about £100 or so left for the rest of term because she went out clubbing and drank so much.
The cost is manageable and you get better at being savvy as time goes by.
Thankfully I don’t drink either so I should save some money there. I think I’m just worried because even the cheapest accommodation is almost double the price of other universities. -
JennLousie
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- 05-11-2017 16:11
(Original post by StealingThunder)
Tbh you won't have time for a regular job that requires shifts. You might be able to fit in tutoring or babysitting but anything less flexible will be difficult. You can get holiday jobs too. I do chem and apparently it actually has slightly more contact hours than the medics because of how our labs work out, and I know I definitely would not be managing right now if I had a job and it's only first term. -
greenjellybean
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- 05-11-2017 17:05
I intercalated in London between 4th and 5th year of Medicine. The cost of living was extortionate to say the least. I mostly funded living costs for both my degrees by working as a HCA either on weekends or on holidays. As a medical student its pretty straightforward to get a job in healthcare - working for agencies pays more but they usually need a few months experience in the NHS.
Good luck! -
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- 05-11-2017 18:06
(Original post by greenjellybean)
I intercalated in London between 4th and 5th year of Medicine. The cost of living was extortionate to say the least. I mostly funded living costs for both my degrees by working as a HCA either on weekends or on holidays. As a medical student its pretty straightforward to get a job in healthcare - working for agencies pays more but they usually need a few months experience in the NHS.
Good luck! -
igotnomoney
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- 05-11-2017 18:13
(Original post by StealingThunder)
Tbh you won't have time for a regular job that requires shifts. You might be able to fit in tutoring or babysitting but anything less flexible will be difficult. You can get holiday jobs too. I do chem and apparently it actually has slightly more contact hours than the medics because of how our labs work out, and I know I definitely would not be managing right now if I had a job and it's only first term. -
StealingThunder
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- 05-11-2017 18:23
(Original post by igotnomoney)
I got an offer from chen, how do you find it and so are you saying that getting job would not be suitable even weekend shift. So how are you managing?? Does your parent paying most of It after loans from student finance???
As for money, my parents give me an allowance of £60 per month and I saved up about £1500 over the sixth form doing odd jobs, so that's my cushion of money and I'm on minimum loan (so just under £5500 per year I think, but my rent is £6000 so still p dependent on parents). Parents gave me £1000 at beginning of term so that I wouldn't be using my savings to pay rent.
Course is really interesting and flexible, but workload has just gone up a level so getting any shift work would be impossible now. (I am dyslexic tho, so maybe other people have more free time.)
I'm planning on getting a temp job over xmas as lots of the big shops in Oxford street need extra staff in the run up to xmas day, and Oxford street is just 15 mins from my accommodation so yeah?
There is very little time for anything besides adjusting to uni life, looking after yourself and doing work though ngl. People who have weekend jobs are always really stressed and pull a lot of all nighters.Posted on the TSR App. Download from Apple or Google Play -
JennLousie
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- 05-11-2017 18:32
(Original post by greenjellybean)
I intercalated in London between 4th and 5th year of Medicine. The cost of living was extortionate to say the least. I mostly funded living costs for both my degrees by working as a HCA either on weekends or on holidays. As a medical student its pretty straightforward to get a job in healthcare - working for agencies pays more but they usually need a few months experience in the NHS.
Good luck! -
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- 05-11-2017 18:38
It gets a bit cheaper the further out you go, I know one of my friends is paying like 450 a month for her room (She's in like zone 4 though) so maybe look at renting privately than student halls
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igotnomoney
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- 05-11-2017 20:22
(Original post by StealingThunder)
It was all p chill until we started getting set lab reports. Now I have no weekends because I'm doing my lab reports and prelabs. But I do have p fun weekdays because I just hang out with my flatmates a lot, if I did more work during the week I'd probs have time on the weekend.
As for money, my parents give me an allowance of £60 per month and I saved up about £1500 over the sixth form doing odd jobs, so that's my cushion of money and I'm on minimum loan (so just under £5500 per year I think, but my rent is £6000 so still p dependent on parents). Parents gave me £1000 at beginning of term so that I wouldn't be using my savings to pay rent.
Course is really interesting and flexible, but workload has just gone up a level so getting any shift work would be impossible now. (I am dyslexic tho, so maybe other people have more free time.)
I'm planning on getting a temp job over xmas as lots of the big shops in Oxford street need extra staff in the run up to xmas day, and Oxford street is just 15 mins from my accommodation so yeah?
There is very little time for anything besides adjusting to uni life, looking after yourself and doing work though ngl. People who have weekend jobs are always really stressed and pull a lot of all nighters. -
StealingThunder
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- 05-11-2017 20:27
(Original post by igotnomoney)
May I know which acoomation place do you live like the name of it. How is it? Ensuite etc
I share a kitchen with about 5 other people and a shower room and loo with about 2 other people. (Although it's 3 Victorian houses bunched together so in theory I could use any of the kitchens / shower rooms / loos, I just tend to use the ones closest to my room). There's also a little garden which is nice but we're not allowed out there past 8pm. It's about £6000 per year (I think that's roughly £160 per week?) and across the road from Darwin building. There are quite a few twin rooms so they're also cheaper, but personally the saving isn't worth my privacy. It's not a very social hall but it's quite chill and everyone is friendly. (Places like Ramsey and Connaught hall have loads of parties etc and more social spaces to talk to people, but I'm a bit introverted so John Tovell House suits me fine).Posted on the TSR App. Download from Apple or Google Play -
TeaAndLifting
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- 05-11-2017 20:31
It could also be worth looking into bursaries that the uni offers.
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nexttime
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- 05-11-2017 20:45
I got through uni by taking christmas jobs (which can pay very well and require minimal experience) and doing a few medical trials. The latter can be very lucrative and a wide range will be available in London - from just questionnaires for psychology paying £5-10 to imaging studies paying £100 to vaccine trials paying £3,000. They also have massive moral value - I can no longer give blood, for instance, but actually thinking about it taking part in that trial has orders of magnitude more potential lives saved than just giving blood, so well worth it.
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StealingThunder
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- 05-11-2017 20:50
(Original post by TeaAndLifting)
It could also be worth looking into bursaries that the uni offers.
But... OP only qualifies for minimum loan so they won't qualify for any bursaries, and even scholarships are means tested.
(EDIT: there are some weird independent scholarships offered by companies or charities to support certain backgrounds, but if you are white British there aren't many, there are some for women in STEM but there definitely aren't many going around unless you have some obscure heritage etc....)Posted on the TSR App. Download from Apple or Google PlayLast edited by StealingThunder; 05-11-2017 at 20:52. Reason: TDA Post Edit -
JennLousie
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- 05-11-2017 20:54
(Original post by StealingThunder)
Yeah people should always look into this!
But... OP only qualifies for minimum loan so they won't qualify for any bursaries, and even scholarships are means tested.
(EDIT: there are some weird independent scholarships offered by companies or charities to support certain backgrounds, but if you are white British there aren't many, there are some for women in STEM but there definitely aren't many going around unless you have some obscure heritage etc....) -
StealingThunder
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- 05-11-2017 20:59
(Original post by JennLousie)
Yeah, unfortunately there aren’t many medicine scholarships anyway 😕 I have hearing impairment though so I’m going to try and apply for disability allowance (even though I won’t get much more if any), so that hopefully between that and a maintenance loan I can cover my rentPosted on the TSR App. Download from Apple or Google Play -
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- 05-11-2017 21:04
Medical trials.
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JennLousie
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- 05-11-2017 21:10
(Original post by StealingThunder)
Ooh yeah make sure you have all your documentation in order for DSAs. They offer loads of support if you have the right diagnostic letters. I'm dyslexic / dyspraxic / autistic, so don't know what help you get for hearing impairments but they might give you a printing allowance, a study skills mentor or permission to record lectures, there are lots of amazing things they have to help that you wouldn't really think of! Not sure how much actual money you'll get out of that though, as the only thing I can think of that they offer like that is printing allowance, but you never know!
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